The Court of Governors and McClure

He inherited a financially fragile School with an indifferent reputation. By the time of his death, Mill Hill had been transformed and much of what he achieved remains as one of the cornerstones of the School’s value system and real estate.

1891-1895

gaining Court confidence

It is hard to imagine what was on McClure’s mind when he met for a ‘conversation’ with Governors on 9th June 1891, having failed to attend the original meeting scheduled for the day before. He would have been aware that Charles Vince, the Headmaster since 1886 had resigned on 4th June 1891, the School having been placed in the hands of the Committee of Governors for over six months since 13 November 1890.

Mill Hill School was in serious financial difficulties. The Court was recruiting a new Headmaster. Mr Paton of Rugby, Mr Green of The Leys and Mr Jessop, senior maths master at Reading had all turned down the opportunity. McClure had no track record as a Headmaster or as a turn-around specialist. Yet on 24 April 1891, at a Life Governors meeting called by Special Notice from the Court of Governors, the Life Governors (all Old Millhillians) had presented a report recommending that Mr J D McClure be appointed as Headmaster, as explained in the chapter ‘McClure and the Old Millhillians Club’ (See page 22).

A Guarantee Fund was to be set up, comprising £700 from members of the Court, £500 from the Old Millhillians Club and further promises of £165 per annum for three years and 20 guineas for two years. McClure accepted the offer to become Headmaster on 11th July 1891.

The governors set him his initial task which was to strengthen the teaching staff. In the first meeting, on the 23 September 1891, he reported on new appointments. In December, he reported on the establishment of a Tuck Shop following complaints from pupils of prices at the local shop.

It takes time to re-build a school’s reputation.

Initial progress was slow and the school’s finances remained fragile, with losses to the tune of £2,000 per annum and no increase in pupil numbers.

Capital expenditure (CapEx) was restricted, including postponement of the renovation of the gymnasium floor. In April 1892, a £5,000 loan secured against (the original) Burton Bank and the Sanitorium was borrowed at 5% from Mr Enoch Taylor.

In 1893, came the first real indicators of improvement. In January 1893, McClure reported a better revenue per pupil mix – 79 boys at the School of which 42 were boarders vs 37 in the prior term. By May, there were 95 and a further 4 entered in June. Entries at that time did not have the Autumn Term peak that Mill Hill sees today.

In July 1893, McClure published a new Prospectus which no longer referred to day pupils. The Court gave McClure discretion to admit day pupils, but the strategic direction was clear: Mill Hill was to be primarily a boys’ boarding school – and so it remained for a large part of the 20th century.

By September, there were 119 pupils at the School. The Treasurer, Mr Buckland, proposed that four hot baths be fixed at the Swimming Pool – at a maximum cost of £50. Things were looking up, so much so that in July 1894, McClure proposed raising the school fees for boys aged under 11. The Court postponed a decision on this – several times. Pupil number growth was the preferred driver of revenue growth – and it was successful. By January 1895, the pupil population was 160.

1895-1911 The Wills era

William Henry Wills (School 1842-47), later 1st Baron Winterstoke, was a member of the wealthy Wills family and worked for the family tobacco firm from an early age. In 1858 he went into partnership with two of his cousins to take over WD and HO Wills which later became the Imperial Tobacco Company and is today Imperial Brands plc. He was a Governor and subsequently Chairman of the Court.

By 1895, McClure clearly had the confidence of the Court and Sir William. He had doubled pupil numbers in four years while patiently accepting the financial constraints he had inherited. Moreover, he had also found the time to compile a Book of Services for use in the chapel. But the time had now come to invest in fixing the estate which had so long been neglected.